The present invention is directed, in general, to display systems and, more specifically, to interactive, disassemblable, portable multi-display systems.
Conventional large-screen display systems are used in a multitude of public venues, including exhibition halls, department stores, convention centers, trade-shows and sports arenas. At one end of the size scale, these display systems may be large cathode ray tube devices, such as 40 or more-inch screen televisions. At another end of the size scale, these displays may be either rear projection screens or large video displays consisting of many pixel elements arranged in a large, flat-panel array.
Two of the better known large-screen video display systems are the Sony JUMBOTRON(copyright) screen and the Mitsubishi DIAMOND VISION(copyright) screen. These display systems may include displays of various sizes. For example, some of the standard screen sizes and weights for the JTS-17 JUMBOTRON(copyright) units are 8xe2x80x2xc3x9711xe2x80x2xe2x80x943,000 lbs., 12xe2x80x2xc3x9716xe2x80x2xe2x80x947,000 lbs., and 16xe2x80x2xc3x9722xe2x80x2xe2x80x9412,500 lbs. Some of the standard screen sizes and weights for the JTS-35 JUMBOTRON(copyright) units are 12xe2x80x2xc3x9716xe2x80x2xe2x80x947,000 lbs., 16xe2x80x2xc3x9722xe2x80x2xe2x80x9412,500 lbs., 20xe2x80x2xc3x9727xe2x80x2xe2x80x9419,000 lbs., and 24xe2x80x2xc3x9733xe2x80x2xe2x80x9428,000 lbs. The depth of these screens is about 15 inches. The images displayed on these devices are viewable through about a 120-degree range.
Despite their increasing prevalence, large display systems frequently suffer a number of drawbacks. The flat screen video systems, such as the JUMBOTRON(copyright) and DIAMOND VISION(copyright) screens are heavy, bulky, prohibitively expensive, require specialized installation, require cooling, and may have a somewhat limited viewing range. They also are not easily disassembled, or portable, or are at least very expensive and difficult to transport.
Large-screen televisions also have a number of drawbacks. Like the flat screen video displays, current large-screen tube televisions are heavy and bulky. There is also a practical limit to the size of a large-screen television due to manufacturing limitations associated with the cathode ray tube in a large-screen television. Large-screen televisions are expensive and are not readily transportable, since the largest element in a large-screen television, the cathode ray tube, cannot be disassembled.
Large screen televisions are currently also manufactured using rear screen projection technology. In projection televisions a projector is located at the front bottom portion of the unit and a mirror is paced at the rear portion of the unit to reflect the image onto a rigid fresnel screen. Similar to large screen tube TVS the current state of the art in these projection devices are really non-portable, heavy, and have screen sizes up to approximately 200xe2x80x3 diagonal (also known as xe2x80x9cretro boxesxe2x80x9d).
The problems associated with large-screen televisions and large, flat-screen video displays are exacerbated when the devices are used in a multi-sided display system (also called a xe2x80x9cmulti-display systemxe2x80x9d), such as one having three or more sides, with a viewable display on each side. The cost, weight and portability problems of a single flat-screen video display or cathode ray tube device are multiplied accordingly in a multi-sided display system.
There is therefore a need in the art for improved multi-sided display systems that do not suffer from the cost, weight and portability problems inherent in the prior art. In particular, there is a need for an improved large-screened multi-display system that is light-weight relative to the current art, and easily transportable, that uses a minimal amount of construction materials, and that may be rapidly installed in either a permanent or temporary location. In particular, there is a need in the convention/venue art for a temporary, quickly assembled, installed, removed and disassembled interactive multi-display system that is capable of operating independently as well as under the control of an operator.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an interactive, disassemblable, portable multi-display system for displaying images. An exemplary multi-display system, that may be associated with an audio system, includes a multi-sided structure capable of forming a plurality of viewable images, that may, for instance, include two or more image projectors, or, in alternate embodiments, a plurality of flat panel displays, or the like (collectively, along with the image projectors, xe2x80x9cimage generating meansxe2x80x9d).
According to one advantageous embodiment incorporating the image projectors, the structure forms an enclosure wherein at least two of the sides have light transmissive portions. The image projectors may advantageously be disposed within the enclosure for projecting their respective image beams on the light transmissive portions of the sides. Two or more of the image beams produce viewable images on the light transmissive portions. In a related embodiment, at least a portion of each of these image beams intersect without causing interference to one another.
An important aspect of this multi-display system is that it is relatively inexpensive, light-weight, portable and disassemblable as compared to the above-described systems of the prior art. This is particularly important in the convention/venue art where a temporary, quickly assembled, installed, removed and disassembled multi-display system is needed. For instance, the multi-display system may be comprised of lightweight, flexible materialsxe2x80x94for instance, the sides (or surfaces thereof) may be comprised of masonite, paperboard, foam core board, styrene, expanded PVC foam, vinyl, cotton, or other suitable cloth or other suitable material, or combination thereof.
In one advantageous embodiment, the multi-sided structure is defined by a substantially inflexible frame that mechanically, or, more broadly, physically, cooperates with the plurality of sides to form the enclosure. For the purposes here of, the term xe2x80x9cstructure,xe2x80x9d and its derivatives, are defined broadly as the sum total of the structural features of the multi-display system, or relevant portion thereofxe2x80x94in other words, the arrangement or interrelation of the various parts comprising the multi-display system, or the relevant portion; the term xe2x80x9corxe2x80x9d is defined as inclusive, meaning and/or; the term xe2x80x9cframe,xe2x80x9d and its derivatives, may be defined as any load carrying skeleton of the structure or relevant portion thereof, and, more broadly, the frame may be actual (e.g., associable pipe, tube, rod, shaft, strut, girder, beam, crossbar, crosspiece, cable, etc.) or implicit (i.e., physical cooperation of ones of the plurality of sides to form, or control a form, of the structure), for instance, assume: (i) four separate xe2x80x9csides,xe2x80x9d each having the same equilateral triangle shape, (ii) at least one of the sides is made of a suitably firm material, (iii) the sides may be suitably associated with one another along ones of their edges to form a three-sided pyramid, and (iv) the pyramid may be suspended from a ceiling, the association of the four sides along their edges and the material, or physical, composition of the one side cooperate to form an implicit frame, or, alternative, cooperate to eliminate a need for an actual frame. The phrase xe2x80x9cassociated with,xe2x80x9d and derivatives thereof, as used herein, may mean one or more of the following: include, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, juxtapose, cooperate with, combine with, be disposed proximate or relative to, interleave, be integral with, intercept, be a property of, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.
In one embodiment, the structure is substantially shaped like a polygon and one or more of the image generating means are disposed proximate one or more vertices of the polygon. In a related embodiment, image generating means are actually disposed within the enclosure, substantially, if not completely, hiding the same from anyone viewing the viewable image. In another embodiment, one side (e.g., a sidewall, top-side, bottom-side, etc.) is associated with a first image generating means, such as one of the image projectors, which is, in turn, substantially opposite another side.
In a further embodiment, the multi-display system includes means for associating it with one or more of a ceiling, a deck or another multi-display system. Such xe2x80x9cassociating meansxe2x80x9d includes any known, or later developed, device, apparatus, equipment, implement, instrument, mechanism, or other like object or workings that is capable of mating, coupling or otherwise associating the multi-display system with the ceiling (e.g., cabling, framework, brace, clasp, clip, anchor, catch, etc.), the deck (e.g., legs, clasp, clip, grip, vise, attachment, anchor, hook, catch, glue, tack, screw, bolt, rivet, staple, etc.), or the other multi-display system (e.g., legs, clasp, clip, grip, vise, attachment, anchor, hook, catch, glue, tack, screw, bolt, rivet, staple, etc.). In a related embodiment, the multi-display system is adapted for suspension above or within an exhibit, trade show booth, or other event from a ceiling, or for mounting directly on the ceiling.
For the purposes hereof, the term xe2x80x9cceilingxe2x80x9d is defined broadly as any overhead surface of a room, hall, a booth or like area, including support structures, columns, or other related structures, including any suitable structure at an outdoor/environmental venue, such as a tent, crane, etc.; and the term xe2x80x9cdeck,xe2x80x9d as used herein, is defined broadly as any bottom surface, whether a floor inside a building, the ground outside, a top-surface of a platform, or the like. It should also be noted that the term xe2x80x9cinclude,xe2x80x9d and derivatives thereof, means inclusion without limitation.
In an embodiment wherein a plurality of multi-display systems are stacked one on top of another, a motor or other conventional rotational means (e.g., motor, etc.) may be associated with such stackable multi-display systems and operate to rotate at least one such multi-display system with respect to another, or with respect to the deck or ceiling.
In some embodiments an audio sound system may be included in to the display system integrated with the images being formed, such as, on each of the independent transmissive screens. In related embodiments the xe2x80x9con boardxe2x80x9d sound systems may have the sound xe2x80x9cdown-castxe2x80x9d or broadcast toward the booth, event or other common area. In other embodiments the light transmissive screen may not be perpendicular to the top and bottom portions of the display. One such example would be the light transmissive screens being approximately 85xc2x0 from the top surface to reduce glare from ambient light emanating from ceiling light fixtures at a trade show or conventionxe2x80x94in other words, an image may be viewed by viewers beneath the system. In yet further embodiments, cameras, lighting fixtures or other audio or visual devices may be attached to the bottom, side or other section of the display system to provide a lighting source or spot lighting, or another video source for display, to a trade show booth or other venue exhibit.
In some embodiments transmission of audio or video data to the multi-display system will be transmitted via wireless methods such as microwave or FM frequency transmission of audio and video signals. In these instances only a single power cable may be required to power the multi-display system. In a suspension from a ceiling or installation on a ceiling the cable will typically be dropped from the ceiling along the suspension cables. In a related embodiment, the system includes a controller, such as a computer, video disk, or other processing system, that is capable of controlling the operation, particularly the image or possibly, audio content, of the display system. This control may, at least in part, be distributed or interactive to enable an operator to direct the operation.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.